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LOUAY SAFI (2009)

Louay Safi lectures deploying troops at Fort Hood weeks after  

deadly attack, authorized “preemptive strikes” against troops  

attacking Muslims, named unindicted co-conspirator in 

Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror support trial

A criminal investigation launched by Army Criminal Investigations Division into the Army’s use of highly controversial Islamic scholar who had been lecturing troops deploying to Afghanistan for three days at Fort Hood was the culmination of a series of events prompted by the  killings of thirteen service members and civilian employees by Major Nidal Hasan last November. According to press reports, Louay Safi was conducting training at Fort Bliss at the time of the massacre at Fort Hood. His pre-deployment seminars were sponsored under a contract by the Naval Postgraduate School.

Safi appeared at Fort Hood just a few weeks later to deliver a seminar on Islam to soldiers of the 135^th Expeditionary Group and deliver a $10,000 check from his employer, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), for the families of the Fort Hood massacre. Both his seminars and the ISNA donation drew heated criticism. One Army official  called Safi’s donation “blood money” in light of his defense of terror supporters, his promotion of extremist ideology, and long-time employment with multiple terror-tied organizations. Comments made by Safi after the Fort Hood killings appeared to shift responsibility away  from the killer and blame “Islamophobia” for the massacre, saying “the extremist ideology responsible for violent outbursts is often rooted in the systematic demonization of marginalized groups”. Safi’s book, “Peace and the Limits of War,” justified violence against apostates from Islam and authorized “preemptive strikes” against troops preparing to attack Muslims, similar to the killings at Fort Hood.

The  Dallas Morning News quoted American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin, an Iran scholar that had previously worked with Safi. Rubin seemed to acknowledge Safi’s blind eye to Islamic terrorism, saying “there’s an element of excusing rather than explaining” how extremists are able to exploit Islam.  Zuhdi Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy told the newspaper that Safi’s “separatist mindset” was the “mindset that created (Maj.) Hasan.”

Louay Safi first came to the attention of FBI in 1995 when he was caught on federal wiretaps talking with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Sami AlArian about President Clinton’s designation of PIJ as a terrorist organization. According to wiretap transcripts presented at Al-Arian’s terrorism support trial, in which Safi was named Unindicted Co-Conspirator #4, Al-Arian blamed the designation of the terror group on a “war waged by Zionists”. Safi  agreed, saying that Clinton “just wants to please them.” Safi was also personally named in a federal search warrant affidavit that was the basis for the March 2002 Operation Greenquest raids. Safi’s office at the International Institute for Islamic Thought (IIIT), where he served as research director, was a particular target during the raid. He likened the raids to “a war against Islam” – a phrase also used by Maj. Hasan to justify his terror attack. IIIT had provided most of the funds for Al-Arian’s World and Islam Studies Enterprise front group at the University of South Florida.

Initial media inquiries with Fort Hood authorities about Safi’s terrorist ties and extremist statements were met with assurances that he had been fully vetted. But after a group of thirteen congressmen sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates requesting that Safi’s pre-deployment seminars be  stopped, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was tasked to open a criminal inquiry into the matter. The case was then transferred to the Army Criminal Investigative Division. The Dallas Morning News reported that Safi had been suspended from working on military bases. However,  he  still  is  in  charge  of  the  ISNA  program  hat  certifies military and prison chaplains.

SOURCES

Michael Fechter, “Al-Arian prosecutors say he mocked order freezing terror assets,” Tampa Tribune, July 21, 2005

Vaishali Honawar, “Officials say raids were fair,” Washington Times, March 22, 2002

Rowan Scarborough, “Is FBI partnering with jihad groups?” Human Events, September 10, 2009

Sandra Chapman, “Muslim group starts fund for Fort Hood families,” WTHR-TV (NBC-Indianapolis), November 9, 2009

Andy McCarthy, “Somebody at Fort Hood should be walking the plank,” National Review, December 3, 2009

Erick Stakelbeck, “Controversial Islamic speaker welcomed at Ft. Hood,” CBN News, December 9, 2009

Brooks Egerton, “U.S. torn over whether some Islamists offer insight or pose threat,” Dallas Morning News, February 7, 2010

Brooks Egerton, “Fort Hood fallout: Military suspends trainer with ties to terror suspects; criminal inquiry pending,” Dallas Morning News, February 8, 2010